Chronology of Coverage

Mar. 1, 2015

Dec. 11, 2014

Kabul Journal; census workers in Afghanistan are having a difficult time conducting survey because many Afghans lack surnames, most do not know their birthday and women will not speak without their husbands present; number of people living in Afghanistan is unknown; last census, conducted in 1979, found some 14.6 million people, but some estimate that current census will register more than double that number. MORE

Dec. 4, 2014

South Korean news organization confirms that North Korea has formally barred anyone except leader Kim Jong-un from having given name of Jong-un; those who had name before Kim came to power in 2011 have been forced to give it up; making name sacrosanct joints Kim dynasty's other outsize displays of power and serves as evidence that Kim Jong-un is as controlling as his predecessors. MORE

Oct. 1, 2014

Memo From Israel; Israel's population authority makes striking decision not to include Muhammad on annual Top 10 list of baby names, despite fact that it was by far the most popular name for children born that year; choice sets off discussion about status of Israel's Arab minority, which constitutes some 21 percent of the population. MORE

Sep. 25, 2014

Drag queens known as Lil Miss Hot Mess, Sister Roma and Heklina are confronting Facebook over its insistence that users employ their real names on site; they and other activists argue that policy excludes those who prefer to choose their names and exposes them to cyberbullying. MORE

Jul. 13, 2014

Bruce Feiler This Life column says number of indications suggest that usage of middle initial is in decline. MORE

Apr. 6, 2014

Loose Ends column by author Brooke Williams describes experience of receiving calls to her home telephone from people who knew another Brooke Williams; notes her consternation at finding out later in life that this other Brooke Williams invariably showed up higher in Internet search results. MORE

Feb. 2, 2014

Practice of naming children has evolved into something resembling competitive sport in Brazil, leaving many people with long, complex and unusual names that often incorporate tributes to foreign celebrities or places. MORE

Dec. 22, 2013

Many pet adoption agencies and shelters are naming their homeless dogs after celebrities, as way to create an instant bond between dogs and potential adopters. MORE

Dec. 21, 2013

Law enforcement officials and families of victims of school shootings are urging journalists and public officials to avoid using the gunmen’s names and photos in public; plea comes after another shooting in Centennial, Colo; families' hope is that refusing to name the shooters will prevent other angry, troubled young men from being inspired by their infamy. MORE

Dec. 8, 2013

Both straight and same-sex couples discuss complications of settling on family name after marriage. MORE

Dec. 8, 2013

Ann Blackman First Person essay recalls her decision to keep her maiden name for professional use after marrying her husband in 1974, and subsequent confusion encountered when she used different surnames in different contexts. MORE

Nov. 17, 2013

Calvin Trillin Lives essay describes a long-standing argument he had with author Cynthia Ozick about the name of his grandfather; notes he later discovered Ozick was entirely correct. MORE

Sep. 22, 2013

Shahan Mufti Lives essay notes, because his last name in Islam roughly means a scholar who deciphers God's will, he receives e-mails from complete strangers soliciting his opinion on deeply private matters. MORE

Sep. 19, 2013

Tennessee judge rules that Jaleesa Martin will be allowed to name her 8-month-old son Messiah, overturning an order from another judge who said the name could not be used because it belonged to Jesus Christ. MORE

Sep. 8, 2013

Name change after marriage is becoming more complex, with couples now facing many options. MORE

Aug. 30, 2013

New York Mets are developing a bumper crop of players whose last names begin with a lowercase D; in chronological order, the Mets have installed Travis d’Arnaud as the new starting catcher, called up outfielder Matt den Dekker and have impressive pitching prospect Jacob deGrom looming at Class AAA Las Vegas. MORE

Aug. 25, 2013

Dispatch column by Pamela Paul notes that many women are still addressing question of why they have to choose between using their married or maiden names; reflects on her decision to use both names. MORE

Aug. 21, 2013

My mother named me after Kris Kristofferson. Could I saddle my son with a famous name? MORE

Aug. 17, 2013

Mark Oppenheimer Beliefs column examines legal and religious questions raised by Tennessee judge's decision to forcibly change an infant's name from Messiah to Martin; says decision is reminder that whenever religious language is involved, whether etched onto buildings or used for personal names, there are competing claims for religious freedom. MORE

Jul. 15, 2013

Fnu Lnu, acronym for for 'First name Unknown, Last name Unknown,' is often used in early stages of a criminal case when investigators cannot identify a voice on a wiretap, or the identity of someone picked up in an immigration sweep; designation has taken on often-comic life of its own, bedeviling courts across country, and even newspapers, when entry of 'Fnu Lnu' is mistaken for an actual name. MORE

Jun. 23, 2013

Jun. 16, 2013

Issue over who may use Borghese name, carried by Italian noble family, is at center of one of the most contentious lawsuits facing trial in New York courts; members of Borghese family have challenged use of their name by Borghese Inc, company founded by Princess Marcella Borghese and Revlon in the 1950s, which has developed into well-known cosmetics brand now run by Georgette Mosbacher, prominent Republican fund-raiser. MORE

Jun. 2, 2013

Many prospective parents feel paralyzed trying to come up with a name for their baby, working to find the elusive name that is exotic yet not bizarre, classic yet not pompous, on trend but not trendy. MORE

Apr. 4, 2013

Pet experts say choosing right name for a new puppy or dog involves research, serendipity and phonetic analysis; suggest picking something that both dog and humans can live with, one hopes, for a decade or more. MORE

Apr. 4, 2013

Julie Lasky article recounts names of dogs in her Upper Manhattan neighborhood, including her own Clara, 2-year-old Wheaten terrier; notes survey by VPI pet insurance finds two most popular dog names today are Max and Bella. MORE

Feb. 17, 2013

Increasing number of women are changing their last names when they divorce, looking for a fresh start; divorce decrees now allow name change without extra paperwork or a fee, making the switch even more appealing. MORE

Feb. 1, 2013

District court in Reykjavik, Iceland, rules that Blaer Bjarkardottir can legally use name given to her by her mother, overturning decision by officials that Blaer, which means light breeze, is not proper feminine name. MORE

Jan. 29, 2013

Social security records show that 36 percent of newborn boys in America have names that end in 'n,' compared with 14 percent in 1950. MORE

Nov. 10, 2012

Op-Ed article by Prof Jonah Berger cites his research which shows baby names that sound similar to ones used in major hurricanes, but not the names of storms themselves, spike after particular storms; says this may be because similar-sounding names become familiar in people's minds; questions what names might become popular now after Hurricane Sandy. MORE

Oct. 14, 2012

FYI column answers question about whether salesmanship and public speaking expert Dale Carnegie was named after Carnegie Hall. MORE

Sep. 17, 2012

Memo from Brazil; electoral law allows Brazilians to list nicknames on the ballot when running for office; ballots for upcoming municipal elections are filled with an array of raunchy nicknames, from superheros to mangled versions of American television characters and politicians. MORE

Aug. 12, 2012

Like term 'sport' or 'champ' of an earlier era, 'buddy' has quietly evolved over the last 20 years into the go-to nickname for American parents, particularly fathers, looking to chum it up with their sons and daughters. MORE

Jul. 15, 2012

Hybridizers and so-called plant artists are increasingly naming orchids after a wide range of boldface names, from royalty to celebrity; for $1,500, anyone willing can have a cattleya orchid named after them, too. MORE

Jun. 29, 2012

Tennis officials and Wimbledon broadcasters face a tough challenge when pronouncing names of players; BBC commentator David Mercer, who also served as a chair umpire from 1973 to 1984, finds that a pronunciation guide, along with repetition, is helpful. MORE

Mar. 11, 2012

Op-Ed article by author Delia Ephron describes questioning what her name was worth after her personal Web site's domain name was bought by someone else when she failed to renew it on time. MORE

Mar. 2, 2012

Miami Marlins outfielder Mike Stanton announces that he will now use his birth name Giancarlo, joining long list of professional athletes who have made it a habit of changing their names. MORE

Feb. 17, 2012

Facebook introduces new policy allowing some users to go by their established, well-known pseudonyms on their personal Facebook pages; change could be a bid to attract more celebrities. MORE

Dec. 29, 2011

New York City Health Department releases annual data on baby names; for 2010, the most popular name chosen for boys was Jayden, and for girls, Isabella. MORE

Dec. 27, 2011

Op-Ed article by Alina Simone describes the impact that changing her name had on her life. MORE

Nov. 27, 2011

Sunday Dialogue on the benefits and drawbacks of requiring real names in online postings. MORE

Nov. 27, 2011

Many soon-to-be parents routinely use Web searches to vet their list of baby names to ensure that their child is not saddled with a name that has negative connotations. MORE

Nov. 24, 2011

People with hyphenated surnames face quandaries when giving their own children a last name; some follow tradition and give their offspring their father's surname, while others get creative and combine the parent's last names into a new amalgam. MORE

Nov. 15, 2011

Salman Rushdie’s victory in a fight over which name he is allowed to use on his Facebook account highlights an increasingly vital debate over how people represent themselves on the Web; the argument over pseudonyms, known online as the 'nym wars,' goes to the heart of how the Internet might be organized in the future; major Internet companies like Google, Facebook and Twitter have a valuable stake in this debate, and in some cases, vastly different corporate philosophies on the issue that signal their future directions and ambitions. MORE

Oct. 27, 2011

St Louis Cardinals' bullpen miscommunication that marked Game 5 of the World Series tripped over simple like Jason Motte but not, amazingly enough, Marc Rzepczynski, who is nicknamed Scrabble for the complex array of consonants that populate his 11-letter name. MORE

May. 11, 2011

Sports world once abounded with colorful nicknames but now, reflecting changes across society, the nicknames of the most prominent athletes are staid, if not downright corporate. MORE

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